A Mysterious Object Pops Up Out of the Ground

An Atlantic Beach resident noticed something slowly moving up out of the ground for several months, and finally took a closer look. When he picked it up, he discovered that it might be a cannon ball from the Civil War. Daryl Boyette says when he discovered the four inch, 10 pound ball he notified police. Bomb technicians from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point then took possession of it to study it. At this point, the experts aren't sure if it's a cannon ball or not, because of some unique marks on it. They say if it is a cannon ball, Marines might be able to explain how it would be used. Technicians say a grape shot consisted of several smaller cannon balls, shot together in a single cannon to do more wide spread damage to its target. Cherry Point says they plan to keep the ball for public safety reasons just in case.

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